Second Chance of a Lifetime
by Zeea
Summary: Michael uses the Granilith to go back, and give a friend the second chance he always wanted


Michael stared at the key ion his hand. The crystal key that would make the Granilith work. That could either send him home, or to another time.  
  
"Michael? Are you sure this is what you want to do?" Maria asked him softly. "I mean, if you do this, things could change, and you may never be able to go home." Maria was completely supportive of Michael's decision either way., but she wanted him to be completely sure about it first.  
  
"I know Maria, and I'm positive. I have to do this."  
  
"Okay." Maria nodded and hugged him tightly. "I love you. Be safe..."  
  
"I will." He kissed her firmly on the mouth before releasing his grip on her waist. "I love you too." Michael said before stepping away and towards the Granilith. He pressed the key into the slot and within seconds the Granilith lit up.  
  
"Come back to me." Maria yelped out quietly.  
  
Michael turned and looked at her. "I will." He said reassuringly before lifting his hand up and pressing it against the transparent glass like material.  
  
Maria watched as he morphed inside of it, and slowly reached her hand up to touch it. She pulled it back a second later as there was an explosion of light, knocking her off her feet. A tear rolled down her cheek as the Granilith turned back to grey, and she prayed that he'd make it back to her.  
  
~~~~  
  
Michael collapsed on the ground. In the middle of a field. Where the hell was he? Did he make it back in time? He heard tires squeal, a scream, a loud crashing, then the sound of a car speeding off. Michael started running as fast as he could towards where he thought the sounds had come from. He heard someone crying. "Betty?" Michael called out.  
  
"Help me!" She screamed.  
  
"I... I will! I'll get you out." Michael could see the flames starting to pour out of the engine already. And he could hear Betty's terrified cries from inside the car. He knelt down and pried open the mangled door and waved his hand over her seat belt. She tumbled to the ground with a soft whimper.  
  
"Please don't hurt me." Betty pleaded, and Michael shook his head.  
  
"I won't. I'm a friend of Hal's."  
  
"Carver?" She murmured.  
  
"Yeah. I'll take you to him." Betty nodded slightly and dropped her head against Michael's shoulder as he lifted her into his arms and against his chest.  
  
Michael started walking down the road. Hal had told him that after he'd saved their pods, and escaped he'd stayed in a hotel, outside of Roswell, so that's where he was heading with Betty. He'd wait there until Hal showed up.  
  
So Michael walked. Betty was slipping in and out of consciousness. He hoped she'd be all right. If she wouldn't, this whole thing would have been for nothing. When she was awake he'd talk to her. Reassure her that she'd be okay.  
  
Michael glanced around as he reached the hotel. No one in sight. He waved his hand over the handle and the door opened with a soft click. He walked inside and laid Betty down on the bed. She was unconscious. Michael wasn't sure if that was good, or bad. He flipped on the bedside lamp and then looked down at Betty.  
  
She was as beautiful as Hal had described her. And she sort of reminded him of Maria. Maria... Michael reached into his wallet and pulled out his picture of her. She didn't know he had it. He always carried it with him. Ever since she proved to have more faith in him than any of his other 'friends' combined. He looked down at the picture of her smiling face. He prayed it all worked the way it was supposed to.  
  
He wasn't the type of person that went around praying for everything. He made things happen. But right now, he wasn't sure if he'd made the right choice. He hoped that he had.  
  
Betty rolled over with a quiet moan. Her body ached. Sitting up slowly she found herself in a dim hotel room. "What..." She touched her head, and felt the tacky residue of blood left on her forehead.  
  
"It's okay." A calming voice said, and she looked quickly towards where it came from. A man, tall, and very handsome walked out of the bathroom with a wash cloth in his hand. "I'm a friend of Hal's... remember?"  
  
Slowly Betty nodded. "You... you saved me." Her brows furrowed together. "How did you-"  
  
"I just did. Don't question it." He sat down on the edge of the bed and dabbed at the cut on her forehead. "You've been asleep for about twelve hours... I was wondering if you were ever going to wake up."  
  
"Well I sure have got one helluva headache." Betty smiled faintly. "Is... is Hal okay?"  
  
"Yeah, he's fine. He'll be here tomorrow." Betty nodded again.  
  
"What is your name?" She asked as she watched him meticulously clean her wound.  
  
"Michael Guerin."  
  
"Well Mr. Guerin, I appreciate your help." He nodded.  
  
"Well I couldn't let you die." Betty closed her eyes and nodded. She yawned, and her stomach grumbled.  
  
"Excuse me." She apologized and Michael smiled.  
  
"Hungry? I'll uh... go try to find some place that has some food."  
  
"There's a diner down the street."  
  
"Oh... thanks. You going to be okay here alone?" Betty nodded.  
  
"I'll be fine."  
  
Michael left, after telling her to lock the door. He pulled out his wallet again as he started walking and waved his hand over the money, changing it. Hoping no one noticed that the money wasn't exactly the same as it should be. He changed the year it was printed, among other things before entering the small diner.  
  
Betty stood up and walked around the room, stretching her sore limbs. She'd nearly died. She walked into the bathroom and looked at her reflection. Her face had small bruises, and a cut across her forehead. There was a comb sitting on the edge of the sink so she ran it through her hair, making her curls poof out. Then she changed her mind and stripped off her clothes and climbed into the shower.  
  
The hot water relaxed her muscles, and made her whole body feel much better. She heard the door open and hoped that Michael was back with food. She was sure she hadn't eaten in nearly two days. Before she just hadn't been hungry, too much was on her mind. The story. The crash. All of her papers were in her car. She remembered the flames, for sure it was all destroyed now.  
  
Betty pulled her dress back on and padded barefoot into the main room. But instead of finding Michael, she found Hal, laying in the bed, eyes closed, looking completely exhausted. She she walked over to him quietly, was he sleeping? Betty wondered as she climbed up beside him. "Hal." She whispered, and watched his eyes fly open and he sat up quickly.  
  
"Betty!?" He yelled leaping from the bed, and staring at her.  
  
"Could you not yell? My head is just about killin' me."  
  
"But you... they said you were dead. Your sister told me!"  
  
"I'm not dead. Your friend... Michael, he saved me."  
  
"Michael? Michael who? I don't know anyone named Michael." Hal walked back over to the bed and inspected Betty's face. It was her. He touched her cheek, and watched as her eyes closed and she leaned into his palm.  
  
The door opened and he jumped up, ready to do what he had to, to keep Betty safe.  
  
"That Michael." Betty said pointing at him and Hal shook his head.  
  
"Who are you?"  
  
"A friend."  
  
"Bull."  
  
"Just... trust me. You don't know me now... but it's a long story. I saved Betty, she's not dead, so you get your second chance Hal."  
  
Hal stormed over to Michael and shoved him against the wall. "Who are you? Why are you here and what do you want?"  
  
"I told you." Michael reached up and laid his hand against Hal's head. Forcing him to see flashes of his future self, and Michael talking. The piece of metal, the lighter. The regret of not keeping Betty safe.  
  
Hal pushed himself away from Michael and just stared at him. "Look, I don't want anything other than for you two to be alive. Take this." Michael handed Hal an envelope. "In about fifty years... go to the reunion in Roswell. Some punk kid is gonna show up to do a report. And guess what, it's gonna be me. Give that to him. And tell him your story."  
  
"But... I don't understand." Hal looked confused at the envelope, then at Michael, then at Betty.  
  
"Just promise me you'll do it."  
  
"Okay." Hal said, and Michael smiled a little.  
  
"Thanks. I got you two dinner. Now I'm gonna take off." Michael looked at Betty who was watching the whole scene with fascination written across her face. "Betty, it was a pleasure meeting you. I hope that I'll get that chance again." Michael said before nodding at both of them and walking out of the hotel room.  
  
Hal walked back over to the bed and continued to stare at the envelope. Betty took the small packet from his fingers and looked at it. Slowly she opened it, and looked at the contents inside. Then she put everything back, and tucked the envelope into Hal's pocket.  
  
"Just do as he says Hal... it might happen, it might not. But either way, he saved my life." Hal turned his head to look at Betty and reached up and cupped her cheek.  
  
"I thought you were dead." His thumb stroked over her cheek bone before he leaned in and kissed her softly. "And I thought I'd spend the rest of my life regretting not doing that earlier." Hal dipped her back onto the bed, and continued to kiss her passionately. With all of the anger, and the frustration, and... whatever that other feeling was that she caused inside of him.  
  
And Betty clutched onto him tightly. Her fingers gripped at his sides, keeping him against her. They broke the kiss to gasp for breath and Hal closed his eyes and rested his forehead against hers. "How about we agree... we'll never have any regrets. Because we're going to make sure we do everything that we want to do." Betty murmured as one of her hands snaked up to gently comb through his hair.  
  
"Agreed." Hal said before claiming her lips in another kiss.  
  
Hal laid in bed with Betty, absently stroking his fingers over her swollen belly. She was seven months pregnant, and they had been married for six. They'd left Roswell, and went up to Vegas, got married, then moved to Florida.  
  
"What should we name the baby?"  
  
"Michael." Hal's brow furrowed for a second, then he realized where the name came from.  
  
"And if it's a girl?"  
  
"Maria." He got that same confused look and Betty simply smiled. "Go to sleep honey. Don't worry about it." She kissed his cheek before closing her eyes, and settling herself closer to him.  
  
~~~~  
  
Maria vaguely heard the sound of soft footsteps, then her bed dipped on the side. Her eyes opened slowly and she found herself face to face with Michael. "What are you doing?" She asked tiredly.  
  
"I needed to talk to you." Maria turned her head and glanced at the clock.  
  
"At three in the morning? Go away Michael. You're the one that wants nothing to do with me." Maria grumbled then rolled away from him.  
  
Michael shifted closer to her and snaked his arm around her waist and rested his chin against her shoulder. "I never said that."  
  
"Well you might as well have."  
  
"Forgive me."  
  
"Go away."  
  
"I need to talk to you. That guy, Hal. He told me things and..." Michael pressed his lips against her shoulder. "He gave me this." Michael opened his hand and showed her the piece of metal.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Part of the ship... my ship." He felt Maria take it from his fingers, and watched as she turned it over in her hand. "Crumple it up." She closed her fist around it. "Now open your hand." She did as he said and watched as the metal returned to it's previous state.  
  
"Wow." Maria whispered. "You just had to sneak inside my room in the middle of the night to show me this?"  
  
"Among other things." Maria turned onto her back again and raised an eyebrow at him. "This." He handed her a picture and watched as her face lit up. It was of the two of them, dressed formally.  
  
"How did he get this? This isn't... it can't be real. We never did this."  
  
"We haven't done it yet. It's prom."  
  
"There was a letter inside... and it said some stuff... and made me realize I'm never going to be able to push you away, so I should just stop." Michael kissed her shoulder again.  
  
"Michael Guerin, are you getting sentimental on me?" Maria smirked, and he smiled shyly. "Trust me. I'm glad you met this old guy." Maria cupped his cheek and kissed him softly. "Stay tonight. Mom is out of town."  
  
Michael kissed her back, and nodded. He pulled her closer and she buried her face in his shoulder. 


End file.
